The Bass Museum: Offering students a convenient cultural outlet

Miami Beach is world-renowned for its unique and distinct cultural outlets. Now, with the hosting of Art Basel which draws thousands of aficionados and lay art lovers from all over the world, we are becoming major players in the fine arts world. That being said, our city holds within it a cultural gem that has lamentably been largely untapped by our city’s youth. Save for a few artistically inclined Design & Architecture and New World students, younger generations often shun the finer things, the fine arts being one of them.

The Bass Museum of Art, popular among local art gurus and culture-conscious adults, is entirely foreign to most high school students. This is unfortunate, as the museum’s proximity to Miami Beach Senior High should in itself encourage strong student attendance. On top of that, a wide spectrum of art, spanning over a period of 500 years, has something to offer even the most culturally resistant of students; an array of racy contemporary art (you’ll have to check it out yourself) abounds at The Bass. Among other specialties, the Museum is home to Florida’s only Egyptian gallery. To top it off, admission is free for Miami Beach residents.

I had not visited the Bass since my parents dragged me there years ago, yet it seemed that no family trip went without a museum visit which I always enjoyed. So why not revisit what is sitting in my own backyard? I decided to take the plunge and was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered. For example, I came upon a magnificent painting that took up an entire wall. Because I had not expected to see famous Renaissance or Baroque art outside of the major art centers in the US, I was amazed to find an original Rubens in our local museum. “The Flight of Lot and his Family from Sodom” was such an eye opener, that I would later blog about it—It caught my eye because of its dynamic figures and attention to detail, not to mention it’s massive size.

In short, the Bass Museum has a lot to offer Miami Beach Senior High students, and this potential should not go to waste. Lucia Rynka, Beach High Future Business Leaders of America Executive Vice President, has established a partnership with the Bass Museum’s staff and board of directors as part of a long-term Partnership with Business project. Acting as a liaison between Beach High students and the museum, Rynka will spearhead events intended to introduce students to this ideally located cultural oasis. Rynka is currently planning an “Art In the Schools” competition, open to aspiring artists at Beach High. The competition is designed to promote the arts among teenagers, attract a new demographic to the Bass museum to eventually stimulate revenue, and help give a young artist an opportunity to showcase his or her talents and win recognition. Rynka has also become active in planning and promoting the museum’s Family Day events.

The Bass museum surprised me with its collections of incredibly famous and valuable works, and it has the potential to do the same for all Beach High students.